Report

Overview of emerging country-level

response to providing continuity under

COVID-19

What steps are being taken to reach

the most disadvantaged students

during the period of Covid-19 school

closure?

Tony McAleavy, Chris Joynes, Emma Gibbs & Kate Sims

With input from Ed Gaible, Jamie Proctor and Rob Rodney

May 2020

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Section 1: Executive Summary

Scope of study • This report provides a rapid summary of country-level responses to the management of

school closures in 2020, with a focus on the needs of disadvantaged students and the role of

technology.

• We consider low-income, middle-income and high-income countries.

• We take a broad view of ‘disadvantage’ recognising that it presents itself in several different

forms: socio-economic status, ethnicity, language group, gender, geography (including the

challenges of remote rural communities), special educational needs and disability. Some

students are subject to multiple disadvantage such as children in poor households with

disabilities living in remote locations.

• We have looked for references to all aspects of disadvantage in country-level responses but

we have not given prominence to gender. We recognise, of course, that many girls and young

women are subject to serious disadvantage but the needs of girls and young women in the

context of school closure is the subject of another report published in tandem with this report.

• We recognise that access to food is immensely important for many disadvantaged students

during the Covid-19 crisis, but arrangements to ensure continuity in feeding are outside the

scope of this study.

• Our starting point was the collection of Covid-19 country-level response documents curated

by IIEP- UNESCO on Planipolis: the portal of national education plans and policies. We were

also guided by the catalogue of country-level ‘edtech’ responses to Covid-19 identified by the

World Bank. We supplemented plans from these sources with additional documents found

through searches and personal recommendations.

Key themes

In seeking to provide for disadvantaged students during school closures, governments

should begin by systematically auditing the ‘digital divide’ and design a distance learning

regime that is fit for context.

In the context of school closures, equity problems arise when disadvantaged students lack

access to the essential resources prescribed for distance learning. There is a need for a blend of

high-tech (online learning), low-tech (radio and TV broadcasting) and no-tech (hardcopy

workbooks) educational provision. The exact mix depends upon the capacity of the education

systems. Papua New Guinea, Chile and South Korea each developed a distinctive distance

learning solution that was based on a systematic audit of the available technology, identifying the

exact dimensions of the digital divide. The result was a ‘fit-for-context’ solution. In Papua New

Guinea, online learning is entirely unrealistic for most learners and students in remote

communities will require hardcopy workbooks. In Chile, online learning is feasible in most urban

areas, but not in remote rural areas, where workbooks are needed instead. South Korea

possesses a digital infrastructure permitting almost all students to participate in online learning.

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Meanwhile, in Iran, there was a misalignment between ambitious high-tech solutions and the

access difficulties faced by disadvantaged rural communities.

During the design and implementation of the distance learning regime, governments

should prioritise the needs of highly vulnerable, disadvantaged students, such as children

with disabilities.

We found that many low-income countries paid relatively little attention to the needs of students

with special educational needs and disabilities. There is a grave danger that this already

marginalised group will be further disadvantaged by the school closure crisis. There are

examples of promising practice in the response of middle-income and high-income countries.

For instance, the government of Costa Rica instructed specialist teachers to adapt the

mainstream resources provided for distance learning so that they are accessible for students

with disabilities. In all countries, there is a need for disaggregated data, enabling policymakers to

understand how students with different disabilities are engaged with education during a time of

school closures.

There is a need to ensure that the distance learning of disadvantaged students is properly

monitored and that quality assurance mechanisms give a ‘voice’ to disadvantaged

students and their families

In the first phase of the school closure crisis the emphasis was typically on continuity rather than

quality of learning. Many country plans say relatively little about monitoring and the importance of

granular data relating to the level of engagement of disadvantaged students, analysed in terms

of different dimensions of disadvantage. Policymakers should ensure that clear metrics are

established so that the effective provision of education to disadvantaged students can be

carefully measured. Policy should be regularly reviewed and, if necessary modified, in response

to issues that emerge the monitoring data. Monitoring and quality assurance mechanisms should

give a ‘voice’ to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their families.

Governments should take action to close the household-level technology gap between

disadvantaged and more privileged students, while recognising that remote learning

requires skilful teaching as well as appropriate technology.

In many low-income countries, there are plans to distribute radios to disadvantaged households.

Teachers require guidance and training on how students can engage with radio or TV in the

absence of a classroom teacher as mediator and guide. In some high-income countries,

considerable resources have been devoted to the distribution of internet -enabled devices. These

approaches were intended to ensure more equitable access to distance learning. There has

been little attention to the question of how to ensure that the new equipment will be used

effectively. There is a substantial body of relevant research which emphasises the need for

skilful teacher mediation if students are to benefit from new technology.

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For disadvantaged students, access to online learning can be enhanced through effective

public-private partnerships with technology companies.

In line with World Bank guidance, many governments have been active in negotiating

arrangements with private sector telecommunications companies and internet service providers

to reduce or eliminate household costs associated with online learning. In a few cases, there

have also been schemes to increase internet connectivity in remote rural areas.

There is a need to providing role clarity for teachers and other professionals so that they

understand their responsibilities for ensuring the learning continuity of disadvantaged

students.

Disadvantaged students need personal support from education professionals during school

closures. In several jurisdictions, there have been impressively high levels of specificity about the

responsibilities of teachers. One good example is the Amazon region in Brazil, where teachers

have been given clear instructions as to how they should enhance student engagement with

educational broadcasting. School leaders have a key role to play in monitoring the engagement

of disadvantaged students in remote learning and providing feedback to higher authorities on any

problems and on the effectiveness of external support. The responsibility of key ‘middle tier’

officials, such as district education officers, should be unambiguously stated.

Governments should build coalitions with parents or caregivers and non-government

organisations to support continuity of learning for disadvantaged students.

Partnership with parents and other caregivers is an essential precondition for successful remote

learning, but this can be particularly challenging for poor families and parents of children with

disabilities. Many governments recognise this. Governments should use all available media to

promote an understanding of the distance learning model and ways in which parents and

caregivers can support learners. In New Zealand, the ministry of education has taken steps to

engage with the families of Pacific Island heritage, broadcasting short radio programmes which

explore different facets of family support for student home study. Helpline services can play an

important role. In Jamaica, the National Parenting Support Commission is running a national

network of parent helplines with a focus on support for disadvantaged families. The helpline

service is intended to assist families both in terms of continuity of learning and in other issues,

such as difficulties accessing food during the current crisis. Non-government organisations can

play an important part in provision of support. In South Africa, a not-for-profit organisation has

organised a national parent WhatsApp support line for families with children with disabilities.

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Section 2: Evidence and Policy Promising policy intended to reduce the ‘disadvantage effect’ during the period of school

closure

We reviewed country-level responses to the Covid-19 crisis and attempted to identify activities,

promoted by policymakers, which were intended to reduce the risk of disadvantaged students

suffering disproportionately from school closures. We took a broad view of ‘disadvantage’

recognising that it presents itself in several different forms: socio-economic status, ethnicity,

language group, gender, geography (including the challenges of remote rural communities),

special educational needs and disability. We did not given prominence in our enquiry to gender.

We recognise, of course, that many girls and young women are subject to substantial

disadvantage but the needs of girls and young women in the context of school closure is the

subject of another report published in tandem with this report

In identifying sources we made substantial use of the collection of Covid-19 country-level

response documents curated by IIEP- UNESCO on Planipolis: the portal of national education

plans and policies. We were also guided by the catalogue of country-level ‘edtech’ responses to

Covid-19 identified by the World Bank. We supplemented plans from these sources with

additional documents found through searches and personal recommendations.

We sought to identify key activities which have been prioritised by thoughtful policymakers during

the period of school closure. We categorised these activities as follows. Collectively, they

constitute elements of a theory of action. They are as follows:

• Systematically auditing the digital divide and designing a distance learning regime that is ‘fit

for context’;

• Prioritising the needs of highly vulnerable, disadvantaged students, such as children with

disabilities;

• Taking action to close the household-level technology gap between disadvantaged and more

privileged students;

• Reducing the digital divide through public-private partnership with technology companies; • Providing role clarity for teachers and other professionals so that they understand their

responsibilities;

• Building coalitions to support continuity of learning for disadvantaged students.

Collectively, these activities constitute elements of a theory of action for effective provision of

education in the context of school closure. We considered that this theory was promising but

incomplete because a key activity was missing. There is a need also to ensure that the distance

learning of disadvantaged students is properly monitored and that quality assurance mechanisms

give a ‘voice’ to disadvantaged students and their families. Many country plans say relatively little

about monitoring and the importance of granular data relating to the level of engagement of

disadvantaged students, analysed in terms of different dimensions of disadvantage.

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A distance learning solution based on a systematic audit of the ‘digital divide’

It seems likely that the experience of disadvantaged students during school closure was made

better or worse by the extent to which the distance learning model adopted by their education

system recognised the scale of the digital divide in that particular context. There is a strong

argument that effective policy for the management of school closures should be based on a

thorough initial understanding of the technology capacity of the existing system.

The school closure plan for Papua New Guinea (PNG) was based on a careful analysis of the

technology capacity of a large sample of schools. The national ministry of education undertook a

rapid assessment of the Covid-19 situation, in which headteachers from 404 schools were

interviewed. The assessment indicated that most schools faced very significant barriers to

delivering remote learning, including limited student access to radio, basic feature phones or

smartphones, television or internet. Over 72% of headteachers reported that fewer than half of

their students have access to electricity at home and only 22% of school leaders reported that

most of their students had access to radio.1

1 Papua New Guinea National Education Service (2020) COVID-19 Education Emergency Response and Recovery Plan https://www.education.gov.pg/documents/PNG-COVID-19-Education-Response-and-Recovery-Plan-(Final-Draft-04-05-2020).pdf

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Figure 1 Papua New Guinea: Headteacher responses to the question: "What type of support

would be best to help students at your school with home-based learning?’ (n= 404)2

When asked what the priorities should be for resourcing effective home learning, the

overwhelming majority of headteachers identified no-tech resources as the most helpful type of

support:

Headteachers strongly recommended physical home learning materials: student activity

books, writing materials, textbooks and reading books as home learning support. They

did not recommend TV, radio, online or SMS for lessons. This finding was consistent

across sub-sectors.3

The government policy recognised these concerns and accepted the importance of a substantial

‘no-tech’ emphasis on the provision of printed workbooks, supplemented by educational radio

broadcasting. It stated:

Distribution of curriculum material is costly and challenging given the geographical

landscape but may represent the only method of distributing learning materials to

students in some communities with limited access to alternative technologies.4

The government of Chile based its distance learning solution on a review of the online capacity

of different communities. The data indicated a marked disparity between the generally good level

of connectivity in many urban areas and the typically poor connectivity in many disadvantaged

rural communities. During the planning process, the Chilean authorities identified 3,700 rural

schools which were situated in places with limited or no connectivity. Based on this audit , the

ministry of education designed a twin-track strategy. Children in most households were expected

to participate in online learning via a new platform, Aprendo en línea. Through a partnership

with the national telecommunications company, Athena, access to the platform was provided free

of charge. The same course material that was available online was also printed in hard copy and

distributed to students attending the 3,700 remote rural schools.5

In South Korea, an initial audit was undertaken of the connectivity available to every single one

the country’s 5.4 million school students, via school contact with every household. This indicated

that the great majority of students had good online access and access to a suitable device that

they could use personally. However, 223,000 students were identified as lacking access to an

internet-enabled device. The ministry of education therefore organised a loan scheme for all

these students and financial support to cover additional internet connection bills for

disadvantaged households. There was no need for a no-tech ‘safety net’, because all students

were able to participate in online learning. Class teachers were obliged to check the engagement

2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 UNESCO:Santiago (2020) How is Chile facing the COVID19 education emergency? https://en.unesco.org/fieldoffice/santiago/articles/minister-education-Chile-covid-19

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level of all students every day. According to the figures that were reported from schools to the

ministry, 98.8% of students in South Korea were engaged in online school study in South Korea

during the period of school closures. This figure is no different to pre-crisis attendance levels and

indicates high participation levels for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with

special needs and disabilities.6

The approach taken in Iran was more problematic and appears to have been based on an over-

optimistic view of the digital divide, without adequately accounting for the problems that students

in disadvantaged rural communities would face in attempting to participate in online learning. The

government of Iran launched an ambitious national distance learning project for school students

on 4 April 2020, using a new national e-learning platform called SHAD. Students were invited to

enrol and were then able, in theory, to attend synchronous and asynchronous classes with their

local schoolteachers. The state-owned French broadcasting company, France 24, has

undertaken an investigation into the reach of SHAD using Iranian sources. Data from an offic ial

Iranian report indicates that two weeks after launch, only 50% of teachers and 25% of students

nationally had been able to enrol. The enrolment levels were lower still in poorer provinces. In

Sistan and Baluchestan, a relatively disadvantaged province bordering Pakistan, only 7% of

students have connected to SHAD. France 24 suggest that the plan was far too ambitious for the

level of digital access in Iran. Use of SHAD requires a smart phone with internet access.

According to 2017 government statistics, 28% of Iranians had zero or limited internet access.

This average figure hides the fact that internet connectivity and use is much more prevalent in

urban rather than rural areas.7

These case studies, from PNG, Chile, South Korea and Iran, are a reminder that every country

has its own version of the digital divide. Effective policy in the context of school closure depends

upon the existence of good quality data and a commitment to use that data to design a distance

learning solution that is well adapted to the specific national context.

An emphasis within the solution design on highly vulnerable, disadvantaged students,

such as children with disabilities

Covid-19 has the potential to be a global disaster for children with special needs and disabilities ,

particularly in low-income countries. The scale of the overall challenge to education systems

creates an enormous risk that progress towards more inclusive school provision worldwide will

be stalled.

The problems facing many children with disabilities were considerable before the crisis. It was

recently estimated that over half of all the primary and secondary school age students who are

6 UNESCO Webinar, 27 April 2020, Back to school: Preparing and managing the reopening of schools https://en.unesco.org/news/back-school-preparing-and-managing-reopening-schools 7 France 24, (2020) In Iran, poverty and lack of internet make distance learning impossible Available at: https://observers.france24.com/en/20200421-iran-internet-covid19-distance-learning-poverty

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out of school anywhere in the world were children with disabilities.8 Those who were already

marginalised before the pandemic are now even more at risk.9

Our review indicates that the degree of emphasis on disability issues within policy responses to

the Covid-19 crisis has been mixed at country level. We could find little evidence in low-income

country contexts that the communication issues relating to children with disabilities were a

priority during the early stages of the crisis. UNICEF advice on messaging about the prevention

of the spread of the virus to people with disabilities, including children, emphasises the need for

multiple, accessible formats for public health messaging.10 Our rapid review of country-level

policy documents did not reveal many examples that corresponded with this good practice.

Although the overall picture is disquieting, there are some jurisdictions in low-income countries

that have taken the needs of children with disabilities seriously within the early stages of the

planning process for school closures. The Covid-19 response plans for Somalia and PNG both

provide examples of proposed interventions that place marginalised children, including those

with disabilities, at centre stage. The government of Somalia has identified the most vulnerable

learners as internally displaced persons, girls, and children living with disabilities. It states that

‘special emphasis’ will be placed on meeting the needs of marginalised students for food and

learning continuity. The plan proposes that vulnerable groups should be the priority for the

distribution of radios and that measures ‘for ensuring inclusion of children with disabilities in

distance learning’ will be a focus for the Covid-19 response. It is proposed that the needs of

children with disabilities should be a ‘standing item’ when any aspect of the intervention is being

considered:

All activities implemented under this plan need to directly encourage and ensure the

participation of children living with disabilities in implemented education activities and

furthering the inclusiveness of education activities.11

Proposals for the management of school closure in PNG recognises that distance learning poses

distinctive problems for ‘the most marginalised children including children with disabilities. The

PNG approach itemises the pre-existing barriers in the country to fully inclusive education

provision, which will need to be borne in mind when reflecting on the needs of children with

disabilities in the context of school closures, such as:

• Lack of awareness of the rights of children with disabilities

• Lack of competent teachers trained to provide disability-inclusive education

8 International Disability and Development Consortium. (2020). IDDC Inclusive Education Task Group response to COVID-19 6th April 2020. [Online]. Accessed at: https://inee.org/system/files/resources/IDDC-Inclusive-Education-Task-Group-response-to-COVID-19.pdf 9 Alaasutari, H. (2020). Tackling inequity in education during and after COVID-19. World Bank blog (20th April 2020). [Online]. Accessed at:https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/tackling-inequity-education-during-and-after-covid-19 10Unicef (2020) COVID-19 response: Considerations for Children and Adults with Disabilities https://www.globalprotectioncluster.org/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-response-considerations-for-people-with-disabilities_190320.pdf 11 Somalia Education Sector Covid-19 Response Planhttps://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/planipolis/files/ressources/somalia-education-sector_covid-19_response-plan_final_2020-04-22.pdf

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• Limited specialist disability services e.g. health, rehabilitation and early intervention services

• Greater need for adaptive technology and equipment.

• Greater need in terms of support for parents.12

While the governments of Somalia and PNG have prioritised disability issues in these statements

of intent, plans from many other low-income jurisdictions devote little attention to the needs of

children with special needs and disabilities.

Compared with low-income countries, the plans of middle-income and high-income countries are

more likely to place a substantial emphasis on support for continuity of learning for students with

disabilities and special educational needs. Guidance from the government of Costa Rica

instructs specialist teachers to adapt the mainstream resources provided for distance learning ‘so

that they are accessible for students with disabilities’.13 Guidance from the ministry of education

in Chile devotes substantial attention to special needs. The Special Education Unit within the

ministry has curated resources for teachers, students and parents which have been made

available via its portal. The Chilean advice to schools provides highly specific guidance on plans

to ensure continuity in the process of identifying and assessing individual high-level special

needs.14

In South Korea, all students with disabilities were individually assessed before the school

closures. Some home visits were made to check that students with disabilities were engaged and

had access to necessary adaptations. Government data indicates that almost all students with

special needs and disabilities participated in the distance learning programme during school

closures.15

The government of France has placed considerable stress on the need for education continuity

during the period of school closures for students with special needs and disabilities.16 The

ministry of education ensured that communications were established with all students with

disabilities via school special needs coordinators, medical professionals and social care staff.

The focus has been on ensuring that individual students have any adaptive technology they need

and are in receipt of accessible learning resources. There is a high level of role -specificity:

classroom assistants, for example, have been instructed to focus on maintaining daily contact

with families of vulnerable children. The government has instructed interdisciplinary formal

reviews of individual cases of students with special needs to continue using videoconferencing

means.

12 Papua New Guinea (2020) 13 Costa Rica, Ministry of Education (2020) Orientaciones para el apoyo del proceso educativo a distancia Available at: https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/planipolis/files/ressources/costa_rica_orientaciones-proceso-educativo-distancia_0.pdf 14 Chile, Ministry of Education, Website. Accessed at: https://www.mineduc.cl/ 15 Unesco Webinar (2020) 16 Government of France, Advice on Coronavirus Available at: https://www.education.gouv.fr/coronavirus-covid-19-informations-et-recommandations-pour-les-etablissements-scolaires-et-les-274253

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The needs of students with disabilities in France were factored into the design of the national

online learning platform, Ma classe à la maison, which was launched during the period of school

closure. On this platform, teachers are encouraged to create small group virtual classes for

students with special needs. The specific needs of different groups have been considered. For

example, educational continuity for deaf students has been assisted by features of the platform

that facilitate the use of French Sign Language, and the educational TV programmes that are

being broadcast are all supported by Teletext captions for students with hearing impairments.17

In France, disability issues have also been highlighted in the support available for teachers.

From the beginning of the period of school closures, the ministry website for teachers, Éduscol,

and regional online ‘academies’ for teacher professional development have both prioritised

approaches to teaching students with disabilities. 18 Éduscol has centrally curated a range of

resources from the regional academies linked to special needs and disability. Each regional

academy has set up a dedicated specialist helpline for the parents of children with disabilities.

South Korea and France provide examples of impressive practice in provision for all students,

including those with disabilities. By contrast, we have observed that many low-income countries

have so far not made this key disadvantaged group a priority. There is considerable concern

among those who research and advocate for children with disabilities that they will suffer

substantially and disproportionately from the current period of disruption.19 The Inclusive

Education Initiative (IEI) is conducting a global survey of frontline views about the experience of

learners with disabilities during school closures. The questionnaire used by IEI provides, in

effect, a checklist that policymakers can use to identify and mitigate the risks of harm to this

particularly vulnerable group of students (see below).20

Covid-19: The Risks of Harm for Children with Disabilities Inclusive Education Initiative

1. They will fall behind in learning due to inaccessible distance learning modalities. 2. They will not have accessible educational materials. 3. They will not know how to use the technology appropriately to continue their learning. 4. They will not go back to school once they reopen. 5. They will not access basic nutritional needs that are typically provided for at school. 6. They will not have access to important therapies, services, or accommodations that they

typically receive at school.

17 Ibid. 18 https://eduscol.education.fr/cid150809/continuite-pedagogique-pour-les-eleves-a-besoins-educatifs-particuliers.html 19 International Disability and Development Consortium. (2020). IDDC Inclusive Education Task Group response to COVID-19 6th April 2020. [Online]. Accessed at: https://inee.org/system/files/resources/IDDC-Inclusive-Education-Task-Group-response-to-COVID-19.pdf 20Inclusive Education Initiative, The Learners with Disabilities and COVID-19 School Closures Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Learners-With-Disabilities-COVID-19

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The ability of any jurisdiction to provide a good education for students with disabilities is

circumscribed by the availability of accurate, segmented data. In recent years, the United

Nations Washington Group on Disability Statistics has pioneered the use of cross-nationally

comparable measures of disability. The school closure crisis provides an opportunity for national

governments to improve the mapping of children with disabilities using the tools provided by the

Washington Group, and thereby make benchmarking against other countries more effective and

future provision much more inclusive.21

Taking action to close the household technology gap between disadvantaged and more

privileged students

Many governments concluded that having designed a distance learning approach with a

technological dimension, there was an urgent need to supply the key technologies to

disadvantaged households which lacked the right equipment and connections. Moves to close

the technology gap depended on context. The governments of many low- income countries have

sought to provide radio sets to disadvantaged households, while many middle-income and high-

income countries have tried urgently to increase household-level access to internet-enabled

devices.

Low-income country governments have been encouraged to consider the distribution of radios to

enable access to educational broadcasts. The purchase and distribution of radios to

disadvantaged students has been identified as an area of eligible expenditure by the Global

Partnership for Education (GPE).22 Radio remains the most commonly available and accessed

technology across the globe. UNESCO reports that 75% of households globally have access to

radio, and in sub-Saharan Africa, between 80% and 90% of households have access to a

working radio set. Local community radio offers flexibility in the languages of instruction. In terms

of education-specific design, models including Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI), an instructional

approach that uses one-way radio to reach students and their parents or teachers via pre-

recorded, interactive lessons, have been long established. IRI has been used successfully in

many countries.

While radio is manifestly a relevant technology for continuity of learning in low-income settings,

policymakers may make naïve assumptions about the extent to which simply providing a radio

and broadcasting content will lead to quality learning outcomes. These issues have been

helpfully explored by Simon Richmond from Education Development Center in a recent article.23

Richmond points out that ‘effective Interactive Audio Instruction relies on multiple supporting

factors that need to be in place’. The conventional model for IRI assumes that the content will be

mediated in a classroom by a face-to-face teacher or other adult. In the context of school

21 Washington Group on Disability Statistics http://www.washingtongroup-disability.com/ 22 Global Partnership for Education (2020) Global Partnership for Education announces US$250 million for developing countries battling COVID-19. [Online]. 1st April 2020. Available at: https://www.globalpartnership.org/news/global-partnership-education-announces-us250-million-developing-countries-battling-covid-19 23Richmond, S. (2020). Repurposing established radio and audio series to address the COVID-19 educational crises. UKFIET blog (23rd April 2020). [Online]. Accessed at: https://www.ukfiet.org/2020/repurposing-established-radio-and-audio-series-to-address-the-covid-19-educational-crises/

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closures, new ‘facilitators’ are required, such as parents or older siblings, who will need some

guidance on their roles. Effective educational radio usually also requires the provision of

accompanying workbooks, which will require printing and distribution systems.

One question that policymakers and education officials should ask is how far local teachers can

be expected to use SMS messaging or social media (or in some contexts online communication)

to monitor and support learner engagement with radio or TV instruction.

Although there is little evidence of plans to distribute TV sets, TV broadcasting of education

content also features prominently in plans for continuity of learning in both low-income and high-

income contexts. In relation to the current pandemic, the World Bank is cataloguing examples of

educational TV24 and has developed a rapid response guidance note on using educational

television programming during school closures.25

The same questions and potential problems arise when educational broadcasting uses TV rather

than radio. Historically, educational TV has usually been broadcast into classrooms with adult

face-to-face facilitation. How can students use the broadcasts in the absence of a teacher? Are

there ways in which teachers can support the use of the programmes remotely? Will workbooks

be provided aligned to the TV broadcast content?

In several middle-income and high-income countries, there has also been emergency action to

distribute digital devices to students living in disadvantaged households. Strategies for the

provision and distribution of internet-enabled devices vary from context to context. In general,

this approach has been used in countries where device ownership and connectivity is

comparatively high, and so the government’s focus is on ‘topping up’ access to devices , giving

the relatively small number of students without them access to the same resources as their

peers. Devices are largely provided by national or local government, with some provision by civil

society organisations or donations from the private sector.26

Some of these efforts to distribute devices have involved substantial effort and cost. Perhaps the

most substantial intervention has been in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel launched a

federal scheme offering to provide families in need with 150 Euros per child to purchase

equipment to assist their participation in online learning. A total of 500 million Euros was made

available for this programme.27 Despite the scale of the expenditure, this measure has been

24 World Bank (2020). Remote Learning, Distance Education and Online Learning During the COVID19 Pandemic: A Resource List by the World Bank's Edtech Team. New York: World Bank. [Online]. Accessed at: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/964121585254860581/Remote-Learning-Distance-Education-and-Online-Learning-During-the-COVID19-Pandemic-A-Resource-List-by-the-World-Banks-Edtech-Team 25 World Bank (2020). Rapid Response Guidance Note: Educational Television & COVID-19. New York: World Bank. [Online]. Accessed at: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/964121585254860581/Remote-Learning-Distance-Education-and-Online-Learning-During-the-COVID19-Pandemic-A-Resource-List-by-the-World-Banks-Edtech-Team 26Cerna, L. (2020) Coronavirus school closures: What do they mean for student equity and inclusion? [Online] OECD. 16th April 2020. https://oecdedutoday.com/coronavirus-school-closures-student-equity-inclusion/ (Accessed on 28th April 2020). 27 Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (2020a) Digitales Lernen: 500-Millionen-Programm zur Sofortausstattung von Schulen.[Online]24 April 2020. Available at: https://www.bmbf.de/de/digitales-lernen-500-millionen-programm-zur-sofortausstattung-von-schulen-11463.html

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widely criticised in the German media as being ‘too little, too late’.28 In Austria, there is a

national scheme allowing students to borrow a laptop or tablet for the duration of school

closures.29 In England, laptops and tablets are being provided by the government for students

from vulnerable families on the case list of a social worker and disadvantaged students in Year

10.30 In Scotland, the devolved government has allowed local government authorities to

purchase and lend out internet-enabled devices, such as laptops and tablets.31 In Croatia, the

infrastructure was already well set-up for distance learning, following a recent programme to

distribute tablets to all secondary school students. In the context of the current crisis, the focus of

the Croatian government has been on providing tablets to primary school students and

distributing SIM cards to disadvantaged students so that they can access the internet during the

crisis.32

In April 2020, President Macron of France personally launched a scheme to provide digital

devices to high school students from 80 highly disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods. 33 Speaking

at the launch, Macron underlined the risks of increasing inequalities for the most vulnerable

populations during the period of school closure: ‘The current situation widens inequalities. Too

many children, especially in working-class neighbourhoods and in our countryside, are deprived

of school without having access to digital technology and cannot be helped in the same way by

parents’.

The New York City Department for Education has embarked on an ambitious plan to lend

300,000 internet-enabled iPads to students across the city. Distribution is being conducted using

an online service and requests can be made either by individuals or by schools on behalf of their

students. Priority is being given to the students most in need, as determined by a short applicant

questionnaire.34 Qualifying criteria in order of priority are:

• Problematic living conditions (e.g. for students living in homeless shelters, or students living

in temporary housing or foster care);

• Students with disabilities;

• Students with English as a second language;

28 Mayr, A (2020) Die 150 Euro fur digitale Teilhabe sind grotesk. Zeit Online [online]. 23 April 2020. Available at: https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2020-04/corona-hilfe-150-euro-einmalzahlung-arme-kinder 29 Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (2020) Digitale Endgerate [Online]. Available at: https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Themen/schule/beratung/corona/corona_fl/endgeraete.html 30 UK Government (2020) Get technology support for children and schools during coronavirus (COVID-19). 4 May 2020. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-technology-for-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19 31 Scottish Government (2020) Coronavirus (COVID-19): supporting pupils, parents and teachers – learning during term 4. 20th April 2020. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/supporting-pupils-parents-teachers-learning-during-term-4/pages/2/ 32 Croatia Ministry of Science and Education (2020) Croatia – how have we introduced distance learning? 2nd April 2020. Available at: https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/planipolis/files/ressources/croatia_covid_organisation_distance_teaching_learning.pdf 33 Ministere del’education nationale et de la jeunesse (2020) COVID 19: Renforcer la continuite educative dans les quartiers prioritaires. Available at: https://www.education.gouv.fr/covid-19-renforcer-la-continuite-educative-dans-les-quartiers-prioritaires-303462 34 New York City Department of Education (2020) Learn at home. Available at: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learn-at-home (Accessed 5th May 2020)

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• Students who quality for free (or reduced cost) lunches.

While the equity and rights case for the systematic provision of internet -enabled devices to

disadvantaged students is strong, it is important that policymakers do not make simplistic

assumptions about the learning benefits that are likely to arise from the distribution of hardware.

The pre-crisis evidence base relating to academic outcomes and the provision of technology

devices to students is mixed. Simply providing access to additional technology does not, by

itself, provide a panacea or magic bullet. Across high-income, middle-income, and low-income

countries, research findings indicate that there is no simple, predictable relationship between

access to hardware and better academic outcomes. Within the evidence base, there are,

however, examples of promising practice and, in certain conditions, positive learning outcomes

can result from increased provision of digital devices.

The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) conducted a systematic review of

education interventions in low- and middle-income countries35. This 2015 study reviewed the best

available evidence across a broad range of intervention areas, including a meta-analysis of

evidence concerning computer-assisted learning interventions. The largest body of evidence in

this category concerned programs which provided laptops to students, such as the One Laptop

Per Child program (implemented in Argentina, Ethiopia, Mexico, Mongolia, Peru, Rwanda,

and Uruguay, amongst other countries). Overall, the evidence from the review of interventions

demonstrated mixed impact on literacy outcomes and some positive but minimal effects on

numeracy outcomes. Further, within the overall meta-analysis were studies of several computer-

assisted interventions which had a significant negative effect on learning outcomes. A narrative

synthesis conducted by the authors concluded that these negative outcomes were most often in

cases where computer-assisted learning replaced conventional teacher instruction, rather than

being offered in addition to normal teaching (such as after-school computer-assisted instruction).

One of the major weaknesses of the programmes reviewed was that the devices often broke

down. The review also found that many of the interventions did not seek to integrate the new

technology with existing learning approaches. Often laptops and software were provided, but no

training was given to demonstrate to teachers how they could integrate these tools in their

normal teaching practice.36

In high-income countries, studies of large-scale device distribution schemes have also produced

mixed results for student learning outcomes. In the USA, several large-scale evaluations have

found mixed or inconclusive results for so-called ‘one-to-one’ initiatives, where each student in a

government school is provided with a laptop or tablet on a 24/7 basis.37 In many cases,

35 Snilstveit, B, Stevenson, J, Phillips, D, Vojtkova, M, Gallagher, E, Schmidt, T, Jobse, H, Geelen, M, Pastorello, M, and Eyers, J (2015). Interventions for improving learning outcomes and access to education in low- and middle- income countries: a systematic review, 3ie Systematic Review 24. London: International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie). Accessed at: https://www.3ieimpact.org/sites/default/files/2019-01/SR24-education-review_2.pdf 36 Snilstveit et al (2015) 37 Goodwin, B (2011) One-to-One laptop programs are no silver bullet. Educational Leadership. Vol 68 (5), pp.78-79. Accessed at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/One-to-One_Laptop_Programs_Are_No_Silver_Bullet.aspx

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disappointing results were attributed to teacher capacity to integrate technology into their

teaching.

Overall, there is strong evidence that suggests that the large-scale distribution of technology

currently taking place during the pandemic is not a guarantee of educational continuity and good

outcomes. Key dependencies are alignment with the curriculum and teaching quality. The

evidence suggests that provision of laptops is more successful and more likely to impact on

learning outcomes when:

1. Software and educational resources provided on the devices are good quality and well -

aligned to the curriculum

2. Teachers are trained, both about the nature of the technology itself and in best practice

strategies for using the technology while teaching at distance.38

There is a need for governments to ensure that online content is a good fit with the national

curriculum requirements. In South Africa – where educational websites have been ‘zero-rated’ to

ensure access for all – the platforms selected for the ‘zero-rated’ status are those which are

aligned to the national curriculum.39 There is also the potential for these computer-assisted

interventions to be more impactful, if steps are taken to ensure quality both in teaching inputs

and in the content provided through devices.40

The evidence suggests the need for combined approach: promoting effective technologically

enabled teaching while providing reliable hardware and better connectivity. Current country-level

plans for expanding access to devices lack detail about teacher capacity and teacher

professional learning.

Some experts have pointed out that the hardware is only part of the equation. Welcoming the

distribution of laptops to some disadvantaged students in England, Sarah Horrocks of the

London Connected Learning Centre said, ‘It’s a step in the right direction, and we hope it will be

extended to the least advantaged children across all age groups. At present, however, the

challenge remains for educators to adapt to remote learning to ensure that children are not left

behind because of individual circumstances ’.41

The research related to the impact of the provision of devices is consistent with evidence relating

to effective online teaching and learning. In our recent review of effective pedagogy for remote

teaching and learning, we highlighted the importance of virtual ‘teaching presence’ in a distance

38 Greaves, T., Hayes, J., Wilson, L., Gielniak, M., & Peterson, E. (2010). Project RED key findings. Shelton, CT: MDR. Available at: www.one-to-oneinstitute.org/NewsDetail.aspx?id=85 (accessed 5 May 2020) 39 Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) (2020). Delivering education at home in ADEA’s African member states amid the Covid-19 pandemic: brief status report. [Online]. Accessed at: http://www.adeanet.org/en/news/delivering-education-home-adea-african-member-states-amid-covid-19-pandemic-brief-status-report 40 Snilstveit (2015), Goodwin (2011) 41 Horrocks, S., (2020) The challenges and opportunities of remote learning, Education Technology. [Online] Accessed at: https://edtechnology.co.uk/e-learning/challenges-opportunities-remote-learning/

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learning context.42 Disadvantaged students, studying remotely and often lacking home support,

will require the highest possible level of interaction with teachers via the available technology.

Providing a radio or a laptop is not enough. Without frequent quality teacher interaction,

disadvantaged students are unlikely to thrive.

Reducing the digital divide through partnership with private sector technology companies

Effective policy in the use of education technology requires government to engage proactively

with the technology sector. This is particularly the case when the focus is on greater educational

equity because private sector access charges can easily lead to the exclusion of disadvantaged

learners. Our review suggests that many ministries of education have been working closely with

mobile operators, telecom providers, internet service providers and other companies to increase

access to digital resources while schools are closed. Given the expense of connectivity, many

governments have targeted efforts and resources towards reducing the costs of internet access

for socio-economically disadvantaged students.43

The World Bank has provided guidance and examples of how governments can work with

internet and mobile data providers to improve connectivity, including among the most socio-

economically marginalised. The Bank recommends, for example, that ministries work with mobile

operators to designate that data related to specific educational web sites or applications be

charged a zero tariff (i.e., that no data charges will apply when these resources are accessed).44

Many governments have negotiated special internet access during the Covid-19 crisis. In

Canada TELUS, a major telecommunication provider, is providing disadvantaged households

with two months of free internet access.45 The Association for the Development of Education in

Africa has identified several country-specific examples of the principles advocated by the World

Bank in action in the context of the current crisis:46

42 McAleavy T, and Gorgen, K (2020) Overview of emerging country-level response to providing educational continuity under COVID-19: best practice in pedagogy for remote teaching. [Online]. April 2020. Accessed at: https://edtechhub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/research-best-practice-pedagogy-remote-teaching.pdf 43 World Bank (2020): How countries are using edtech (including online learning, radio, television, texting) to support access to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Online] World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/edutech/brief/how-countries-are-using-edtech-to-support-remote-learning-during-the-covid-19-pandemic (Accessed on 29th April 2020) 44 Cobo, C. & Ciarrusta, I.S. (2020) How ministries of education work with mobile operators, telecom providers, ISPs and others to increase access to digital resources during COVID19-driven school closures (Coronavirus) [Online] World Bank. 2nd April 2020. Accessed at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/successful-examples-scaling-teaching-and-learning-response-covid-19 45 Franklin M (2020) TELUS offers free internet to low-income Canadians amid COVID-19 pandemic. CTV News 27 March 2020. Available at: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/telus-offers-free-internet-to-low-income-canadians-amid-covid-19-pandemic-1.4871385 46 Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) (2020). Delivering education at home in ADEA’s African member states amid the Covid-19 pandemic: brief status report. [Online]. Accessed at: http://www.adeanet.org/en/news/delivering-education-home-adea-african-member-states-amid-covid-19-pandemic-brief-status-report

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• In Morocco, the government is arranging free internet access to portals and platforms used

for distance education. The initiative is a partnership between the education ministry and the

three main telecommunications companies operating in the country.

• In South Africa, the government has reached agreements with network providers to zero-

rate platforms that have approved educational content.

• In Zambia, the government has made a request to internet providers that they lower the cost

of ‘bundles’, so that more Zambians can afford to access the internet during this time. The

company, Zamtel, is providing subscribers with free ‘bundles’ on Tuesdays, Thursdays and

Sundays.

• In Cote d’Ivoire, discussions are underway with the tech company, ENEZA, to grant reduced

subscriptions to families during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• In Kenya, the telephone company, Airtel, have partnered with an online education provider,

Longhorn, to provide their subscribers with free access to the education platform during the

Covid-19-related school closures.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, there have been examples of public-private partnerships

to improve internet connectivity, with a focus on ensuring that all students, including those in

remote rural areas, can access online learning resources:

• In China, a rapid two-week planning and implementation process mobilised major telecom

service providers to boost internet connectivity services for online education, especially for

the under-served regions. In addition, the government sought to upgrade the bandwidth of

major online education service platforms.47

• In Kenya, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Kenya Civil Aviation,

and Google Loon are helping to expand internet connectivity across remote rural areas in

Kenya by using Loon balloons, which hover at high altitude, carrying 4G base stations to

enhance signal coverage.48

Ensuring role clarity for the different system actors, particularly teachers

The likelihood of a smooth and effective process to support learning continuity for disadvantaged

students during school closures is increased by a high level of role-specificity for key education

professionals, particularly teachers.

An encouraging emphasis on role clarity and accountability is emerging in some countries. The

Amazon region. The Amazon region in Brazil – which is four times larger than Germany and

home to many extremely remote and disadvantaged communities that can only be reached by

47 UNESCO (2020) How China is ensuring learning when classes are disrupted by coronavirus. Available at: https://en.unesco.org/news/how-china-ensuring-learning-when-classes-are-disrupted-coronavirus (Accessed: 9th April). 48 Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) (2020). Delivering education at home in ADEA’s African member states amid the Covid-19 pandemic: brief status report. [Online]. Accessed at: http://www.adeanet.org/en/news/delivering-education-home-adea-african-member-states-amid-covid-19-pandemic-brief-status-report

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boat or air – benefits from a long tradition of blended learning, with the work of local teachers in

elementary schools enhanced by TV programmes broadcast from the regional capital , Manaus.49

The starting point of the approach used in Amazon region is the principle that students cannot be

expected to engage with broadcast lessons as autonomous self-directed learners: they need a

teacher. The teacher’s prime responsibility is to ensure that students are engaged with the

broadcast lessons and are making progress. Beyond this, the teacher must assist any students

with internet access through the provision of virtual lessons, using free platforms and the

curation of additional resources that can be accessed online. From this base, during the period of

school closures, the regional government has set out the core responsibilities of local teachers –

see below.

Core Responsibilities of Local Teachers During School Closure:

Amazon Regional Government, Brazil50

• Maintain regular contact with students, parents and guardians, via instant messaging or

other means of distance communication, providing guidance to them regarding the

strategies for the continuity of learning.

• Mobilise students to attend classes through educational TV and/or on the educational

platforms provided.

• Follow the transmissions of the TV classes that students are viewing and by means of

instant messaging or other means of distance communication provide guidance to support

student learning and engagement with the broadcast content.

• Undertake assessment activities.

• Create, when it is possible, virtual classes on free platforms.

• Identify relevant films, websites and other resources for students with internet access.

A high level of specificity regarding the role of teachers during school closure can also be found

in guidance issued by the government of Costa Rica.51 Government guidance in Costa Rica

defined the ‘actions expected of teachers’ in the context of closures. The initial requirement was

to conduct an audit of the extent to which each individual student in their tutor group had access

to learning technology and to provide school managers with this information. Teachers were

responsible for the design of learning and assessment activities during school closures and were

expected to be monitoring the engagement and assessing the academic progress of each

student.

49 Trucano M (2014) Interactive Educational Television in the Amazon. World Bank blog, February 12th. Available at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/interactive-educational-television-amazon (Accessed: 5 May 2020) 50 Secretaria de Educacao e Desporto (2020) Available at: http://www.educacao.am.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/manual-regime-especial-professor1.pdf

51 Costa Rica Ministry of Education (2020)

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The ministry in Costa Rica sets out expectations regarding a range of distance learning

‘scenarios’, linked to the level of technological access of each student. The teacher is expected

to provide teaching to support students in four situations:

1. For students with internet access and a device at home, teachers are expected to provide

synchronous and asynchronous online opportunities, but with an emphasis on the use of

platforms that were free of charge.

2. For students who have access to a device but with reduced or limited internet access,

teachers were to provide asynchronous engagement opportunities with minimum

consumption of data.

3. For students who have technological devices but no connectivity, teachers would provide

USB storage devices containing digital work guides.

4. For students who do not have technological devices or connectivity, teachers would provide

support in the use of printed materials.52

In addition to expectations about the duties of teachers, the guidance in Costa Rica provided

specific detail about the responsibilities of other professionals. The guidance regarding the work

of school directors is very detailed. The box below provides a summary of the expectations for

school leaders, which involve both upward feedback to the authorities on frontline issues

regarding implementation and downward feedback to teachers regarding the quality of their plans

for remote teaching. The focus is on the welfare of all students, but disadvantaged students are

likely to benefit from this systematic approach.

The Role of the School Director During School Closure: Costa Rica53

• Promoting technology to support learning and communications based on an accurate view

of the extent to which the student body has access to technology.

• Using technology for institutional management and effective team meetings with teaching

and non-teaching staff.

• Coordinating the lending of computers to staff and students and the response when there

are technological problems at institutional level.

• Analysing the effectiveness of the school’s distance learning offer, including the analysis

of concerns expressed by students, parents and staff .

• Providing feedback to the authorities on the support provided by the ministry.

• Reviewing the quality of teacher planning during the period of school closure.

• Participating in virtual meetings called by higher authorities.

Problems arise when role clarity is lacking. There appears to have been a degree of uncertainty

about responsibilities in the early days of the school closure crisis in Pakistan. The International

Rescue Committee (IRC) Pakistan has undertaken a rapid cross-sectoral review of the impact of

52 Ibid. 53 Ibid.

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the Covid-19 crisis in four provinces of the country.54 This involved telephone interviews with

adults in selected households, community leaders and provincial government representatives.

The results suggested that many school students were undertaking no academic work at all

during the period of school closure. Community leaders across the four provinces indicated that,

on average, about 60% of school students were not involved in any form of home learning during

school closure. They estimated that half of the 40% of school students who were engaged in

some home study were studying at home entirely because of the initiative of their parents and

were not engaged with their teachers. Only an extremely small minority were engaged with their

schools via social media or online learning. This picture was confirmed by representatives of

provincial government, who stated that the great majority of public and private schools were not

yet actively promoting continuity of learning at local level.

Building coalitions to support continuity of learning for disadvantaged students

The likelihood of disadvantaged students thriving is increased when governments seek to

harness the power of parents, the wider public and non-state organisations, working together to

maintain continuity of learning.

Clearly parental support for effective home learning is key and disadvantaged parents and

caregivers will require more assistance than others. The government of New Zealand has been

particularly intentional in seeking to win the support of parents for home learning, with an

emphasis on parents and children in disadvantaged households. Families of Pacific Island

heritage are, in relative terms, a disadvantaged group within New Zealand society. They speak a

variety of Pacific languages. Between April and June 2020, a ten-week series of short radio

programmes was broadcast in a range of languages, exploring different facets of family support

for student home study.55

Many countries have set out to provide parental helplines to assist parents and caregivers . In

Jamaica, the National Parenting Support Commission is running a national network of parent

helplines. The helpline service is intended to assist both in terms of continuity of learning and

other issues, such as difficulties accessing food during the current crisis.56

Local community leaders and local government officials have a potential role to play in mobilising

parental support for effective home learning. In Uganda, in April 2020, the permanent secretary

of the ministry of education wrote to all town clerks across the country explaining ‘what is

expected during lockdown’ regarding their engagement with all parents and caregivers:

54 International Rescue Committee-Pakistan (2020) COVID-19 Rapid Need Assessment, [Online] Available at:

https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/covid-19-rapid-need-assessment-international-rescue-committee-pakistan-april-13-

2020 (Accessed 6 May 2020) 55 Davis, H. K. (2020). Making learning from home accessible to Māori learners and whānau. [Online]. Accessed at: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/making-learning-home-accessible-m%C4%81ori-learners-and-wh%C4%81nau 56 UNICEF (2020b) NPSC launches parent support helplines amid COVID-19 crisis. 7 April 2020. [Online]. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/jamaica/press-releases/npsc-launches-parent-support-helplines-amid-covid-19-crisis (accessed 6 May 2020)

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The parents/guardians should be effectively sensitized about the importance of continued

learning during the lockdown to ensure that they give learners adequate time to engage

in educationally beneficial activities. 57

In South Africa, a national parent WhatsApp support line, using multiple community languages,

has been established for families with children with disabilities, provided by a non-profit

organisation called Inclusive Education South Africa. The organisational website invites parents

to engage with trained facilitators on any of the following topics:

• Planning routines for home learning

• Supporting children with disabilities with homework set by the school

• Providing stimulating learning for pre-school children with disabilities at home.58

In France, a national non-state organisation called Article 1 has provided, with government

endorsement, an academic mentoring system for high school students in disadvantaged

neighbourhoods. This scheme is known as #RéussiteVirale and it brings together volunteer

university students and high school students in need of an academically proficient friend. Using

social media platforms, the mentors engage with the school students, offering subject-related

dialogue and wider mentoring59.

Post-script: the need for quality assurance of provision for disadvantaged students

In this report, we have highlighted approaches found in country-level plans for school closure

during the Covid-19 pandemic. One potentially important activity that was given relatively little

attention was the quality assurance of provision. High levels of monitoring and accountability are

implicit in the approaches found in countries such as France and South Korea, where regulations

required professionals to track the engagement of every single disadvantaged student . In

countries such as Chile and Costa Rica, there are expectations that there will be strong internal

quality monitoring undertaken by school leaders. One country, the UAE, has gone further than

this form of internal monitoring and intends to roll out a national programme of external review of

school provision, including the quality of provision for students with special needs.60 This is in-

keeping with the views of one accountability expert, Melanie Ehren, who has argued that the

quality of learning during lockdown should be inspected by national inspection agencies. 61

57 Ministry of Education, Uganda, Letter to town clerks. [Online]. Accessed at: https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/en/2020/uganda-covid-19-education-sector-response-guidelines-6931 (accessed 6 May 2020) 58 Inclusive Education South Africa (2020) IESA support for parents http://www.included.org.za/iesa-support-for-parents-learning-at-home-during-sa-lockdown/ 59 Reussitevirale (2020 Available at: https://reussitevirale.fr/ (accessed 5th May 2020) 60 Communication from Education Development Trust, Dubai 61 Melanie Ehren (2020) Education and Covid-19: why we need inspections when schools are shut down https://ioelondonblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/23/education-and-covid-19-why-we-need-inspections-when-schools-are-shut-down/

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It is understandable that in the first phase of the management of the Covid-19 crisis the focus

was typically on access and continuity rather than quality. If school closures are prolonged there

becomes an urgent need to focus on data and quality. Policymakers should ensure that clear

metrics are established so that the effective provision of education to disadvantaged students

can be carefully measured. Monitoring and qua lity assurance mechanisms should give a ‘voice’

to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their families. The user perspective should be

used to review and improve provision.

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Section 3: Recommendations for policymakers

1. Ensure that the remote learning regime is appropriate for the specific technological

capacity of the educational system and can be accessed by disadvantaged

students.

In a situation of school closure, policymakers should review the mix of ‘high -tech’ (online

learning), ‘low-tech’ (radio and TV broadcasting) and ‘no-tech’ (provision of workbooks and

textbooks) educational provision and ensure that it is fit for the local context. In most countries,

there will be a need for a low-tech ‘safety net’ for disadvantaged households and remote

communities. The provision of all elements of the distance learning regime will require systematic

project management, including logistics, with clearly defined responsibilities and timelines and

sufficient resourcing. Effective radio or TV broadcasting is likely to require the provision of

supplementary online or hard copy worksheets and assignments.

2. Prioritise the learning continuity of highly vulnerable students such as children

with disabilities.

Policymakers should ensure that granular data relating to student engagement is collected and

analysed and tagged, so that the level of involvement of different vulnerable groups is under

constant, well-informed scrutiny. All modes of remote teaching and learning should be reviewed

and modified to maximise the engagement of students with different forms of disability

(recognising, for example, the needs of students with such conditions as visual and hearing

impairment, learning difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and cerebral palsy). Policymakers

should seek to ensure that students with disabilities have the best possible adaptive technology

and other equipment at home. Insofar as is practicable, processes for the multi -disciplinary

(education/health/social care) identification and diagnosis of high-level needs should continue

using online methods.

3. Establish effective public-private partnership to minimize the cost of distance

learning for disadvantaged students.

Governments should encourage telecommunications companies and internet service providers to

waive charges for digital access to educational resources.

4. Provide guidance to teachers on effective remote pedagogy

Distributing equipment to disadvantaged households without advice to teachers relating to the

use of the equipment is unlikely to be effective. Teachers are likely to need guidance on the use

of radio or TV broadcasting, because education broadcasting has traditionally been used in

classroom contexts with face-to-face adult facilitation. Teachers are likely to need guidance on

online teaching and learning, as it is not possible to successfully mimic the largely synchronous

engagement of the face-to-face classroom. Whether the modalities of learning are high-tech,

low-tech or no-tech, if the learning of disadvantaged students is to be maintained, teachers are

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likely to need guidance on the crucially important question of how student work can be assessed

during a period of school closure.

5. Provide role-specificity for education professionals with clarity about responsibili ty

for disadvantaged students.

The duties of all actors in the education system need to be precisely defined to ensure clarity

about their respective responsibilities. Teachers and other staff (such as classroom assistants)

should be directed to ensure maximum contact with all vulnerable students. Teachers should be

directed to do all in their power to monitor the ‘attendance’ of all vulnerable students . In

situations where radio or TV are key learning modalities, the role of local teachers in ensuring

engagement with educational broadcasting should be clearly articulated. The role of school

leaders in monitoring problems relating to disadvantaged students should also be clearly

communicated. The responsibility of key ‘middle tier’ officials, such as distr ict education officers,

should be unambiguously stated.

6. Build coalitions with parents/caregivers and non-state organisations.

Policymakers should take steps to establish good communications and partnership with parents

and other caregivers during a period of home study, clearly explaining how families can support

their children’s learning. Parental helplines should be established, with skilled facilitators able to

offer advice to parents of students experiencing different forms of disadvantage. All available

means should be used to communicate with specific disadvantaged communities using

community languages and enlisting the support of community leaders. The resources of non-

state organisations should be enlisted, such as the insights and communication channels of

bodies representing people with disabilities and organisations of community volunteers.

7. Put in place effective monitoring and quality assurance systems which give a

‘voice’ to disadvantaged students and their families.

Policymakers should ensure that clear metrics are established so that the effective provision of

education to disadvantaged students can be carefully measured. Policy should be regularly

reviewed and, if necessary modified, in response to issues that emerge the monitoring data.

Ministries should develop a quality assurance policy so that the quality of provision at individual

school level is subject to both internal and external review. Quality assurance should be

undertaken using a transparent framework of expectations that defines good provision for all

students, including those who are disadvantaged. Monitoring and quality assurance mechanisms

should give a ‘voice’ to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their families.

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